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TROLLEY POLL.

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G. N. BUTTON. TROLLEY POLE.

No. 586,809. Patented July 20,1897.

UNITEE STATES PATENT OEEICE.

OHAUNOEY' N. DUTTON, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.l

TROLLEY-POLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,809, dated July 20,1897. Application filed July 27, 1896. Serial No. 600,648. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHAUNCEY N. DUTTON, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a certain new and useful ImprovementinTrolley-Poles,of which improvement the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a trolley-pole which shall bespecially and desirably applicable in connection with the electricalpropulsionof vessels upon canals or other Water-courses in order thatvessels using the same trolley wire or conductor may pass freely whengoing in opposite directions and that a vessel may vary its positionrelatively to a trolley-wire, so as to follow such course on the canalas may be best adapted for navigation.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of a portion of acanal, showing two electrically-propelled canal-boats having myinvention applied traversing in opposite directions; Fig. 2, a view inperspective of the same; Fig. 3, a similar view, on a larger scale, of atrolley-pole embodying my invention as applied to a boat; Fig. 4, asimilar view of the shaft of the universal-joint mechanism and itssupport; Figs. 5 and 6, views in elevation of said shaft, seen in planesat right angles one to the other; Fig. 7, a front view of the end frameof the trolleypole Fig. 8, a side view of the same, showing also thecounterbalance and its arm; Fig. 9, a transverse section through thetrolley-pole, showing one of the clamps for the attachment of thetruss-wires; Fig. 10, a side view of the clamp of Fig. 9; Fig. ll, asimilar view of two struts and their connections; Fig. l2, a transversesection through the trolley-pole, showing a set of struts connectedthereto; and Fig. 13, a similar section, on a larger scale, showing aportion of a single strut in longitudinal section.

In order that the electrical propulsion of canal-boats may be properlyand desirably effected, it is necessary, among other things, thatprovision should be made for variation of the distance laterally of theboat from the trolley wire or conductor, as required from time to timein changing the course of the boat to pass other vessels or avoid shoalsor obstructions, as well as of variation of the vertical distance fromthe deck of the boat to the trolley, as in passing under bridges orthrough locks. To this end I provide a trolley-pole which is made aslong as may be required to reach the trolley-wire when the boat is atthe maximum distance therefrom permitted by the width of the canal andwhich is also made as light as is consistent with strength. The mainbody of the pole is made of bamboo or of other light tubulous or hollowmaterial or of light metal tubing, and in order to give it the requisiterigidity it is trussed by a system of wires and struts. It is hung upona universal joint, so that its end which makes contact with theconductor may move into any point in a semisphere which it is adapted todescribe about the universal joint as a center. The trolley-pole restsand bears on the conductor by the eX- i cess of its outboard oroverhanging Weight, which excess of weight may be graduated as requiredby means of an adjustable counterbalance.

As shown in the drawings, the body of the trolley-pole is composed oflight tubular sections l, having a metal tip or outer end section 2,which makes contact with theconductor. The opposite or inner end of thetrolley-pole is supported upon auniversaljoint mechanism, a suitable andpreferred form of which, as shown, is of the following construction: Atransverse socket 3, xed upon the inner end of the trolley-pole,receives a horizontal journal 8, formed at the upper end of a verticalsupport 4, having a journal 5 at its lower end, which is fitted torotate in a socket or bearing 6, fixed to a bedplate 7, which is in turnsecured to the deck or frame of the boat on which the trolleypole isapplied. The trolley-pole is free to move about the axis of thehorizontal journal 8 and to move with the support 4 about the axis ofthe vertical journal 5 of the latter. A true universal-joint system,admitting of the movement of the outer end of the trolley over asemisphere, is thus provided.

The socket 3 is provided with a central prolongation in line with theaxis of the trolleypole to receive a rod or bar 11, upon which acounterbalance 9 is secured adjustably, as by a set-screw l0. The outersection 2 of the IOO trolley-pole bears upon the trolley wire orconductor by the preponderance of the weight of the pole over that ofthe counterbalance 9,

which preponderance may be increased or diminished, as desired, bymoving the counterbalance nearer to or farther from the horizontalsocket 3. of*V two canal-boats traveling in opposite di- The relation ofthe trolley-poles 1 rections is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, f

from which it will be seen that the trolleypole of the boat moving tothe left passes under the trolley-poleof the boat moving in the oppositedirection and lifts it from the conductor, to which it is returned bythe prefollowing construction: A light frame or set ,1

of arms 12, braced by a rod or wire 18, is

socket 3 at its inner end, from the outer ends 5 of which arms 12truss-wires 14 extend to f tubular form, being preferably made .of shortf pieces of gas-pipe, and the clamps 17 are sectional, each fitting on aportion of the outer cylindrical surface of the trolley-pole and ghaving on each side slightly less than one- 'I half of a tapered andscrew-threaded stem 1'9. 'g

Internal taperedscrew-threads are cut upon the inner ends of the struts16, each of which is thereby connected to two adjacent halfstems 19, acomplete set of which is clamped upon the pole by the connected struts,as

shown in Fig. 12, the specific means of connection being more fullyshown in Fig. 13. The outer ends of the -struts are internally threadedto engage screw-threads on the eyebolts 1'8, by the adjustment of whichthe effective length of the struts may be varied as i required forproperly straining the truss- -1 wires 14, which may be further strainedby nuts 14a on their ends bearing against the arms 12.

The trolley-pole is adj usted and maintained 5 in proper angularrelation to the axis of the g boat by a cord 2l,passin g around sheaves22 22,

journaled on the deck of the boat in front and in rear, respectively, ofthe vstandard 4, and a wire 23 is led from the trolley-pole to theelectric motor 24, by which the propeller or propellers 25 of the boatis or are actuated.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination, substantially as set forth, of a trolley-pole, a fixedsocket, a vertical support journaled at its lower end in said socket,and having a horizontal journal at its upper end, a transverse socketfixed to the trolley-pole adjacent to its inner end and fitting onsaid'horizontal journal, and a counterbalance connected to thetrolley-pole on the side of its transverse socket opposite its outboardend.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a trolley-pole, auniversal-joint system on which said pole is journaled, in position toallow it to bear, adjacent to its free or -iixed upon the trolley-poleadjacent to the" outboard end on a trolley wire or conductor, and a cordconnected at each of its ends to the trolley-pole and passing aroundinterme-v diate sheaves journaled in bearings in front and in rear ofthe journal of the universalj oin-t system.

3. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a tubular or tubulousbodied trolleypole, a truss-frame fixed thereon, truss wires or rodsconnected to said truss-frame and to the body of the trolley-pole, andadjustable struts connected to the body and to the trusswires.

4. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a tubular or tubulousbodied trolleypole, a truss-frame fixed thereon, vtruss Wires or rodsconnected to said truss-frame and to the body of the trolley-pole,sectional clamps fitting the body and carrying threaded stem.- sections,and struts engaging said stem-sections and carrying eyes through whichthe truss-wires are passed.

5. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a tubular or tubulousbodied trolleypole, a truss-frame xed thereon, truss wires or rodsconnected to said truss-frame and yto the body of the trolley-pole,sectional clamps yfitting the body and carrying threaded stemsections,struts engaging said stem-sections, and bolts threaded to engage withthe outer ends of the struts and carrying eyesV through which thetruss-wires are passed.

CHAUNCEY N. BUTTON.

Witnesses:

LEoN S. MorssEIEE, FREDERICK AURGAUsEN.

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